News & Press

Acronym’s abound in the UNFCCC process, and here’s another one…O-M-G-E stands for “overall mitigation in global emissions.” Say what?! The mechanism referred to in Article 6.4(d) of the Paris Agreement: “shall aim to deliver an overall mitigation in global emissions.” Yes, it’s wonky. So, let us tryagain: This is a mandate to reflect on the hard lessons learned from the…

Over the next two weeks more than 22,000 people – including parties, observers, and journalists will arrive to in the little mining city of Katowice (Poland). Guests will be welcomed not only by delicious pierogi (typical Polish dish) and cold temperatures, but above all by a crisp and exhilarating atmosphere. As the eyes of the…

This week, European Member States agreed on a common position regarding the future implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) new carbon market, set to start operating in 2021. The creation of a new offsetting mechanism for aviation, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), was agreed as part of a…

The EU’s Horizon Europe for research and innovation provides an opportunity to unleash the potential of low-carbon technologies that will help Europe in the transition to a carbon neutral economy. This, however, is contingent on its design, writes Agnese Ruggiero. Published in Euractiv.com Agnese Ruggiero is a Policy Officer at Carbon Market Watch, an NGO…

Engaging in a dialogue with all stakeholders is imperative for effective policy making, to ensure that the measures put forward can count on public support, and guarantee proper implementation. In the coming months, a particularly important opportunity for the active engagement of multi-level stakeholders will be the development and implementation of National Energy and Climate…

The IPCC, the leading body of climate scientists, released a report this week showing that without unprecedented and rapid action, it will not be possible to avoid dangerous climate change. A major share of the efforts to keep global warming to 1.5°C will need to come from industry, which is the end-use sector responsible for…

This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a leading climate science body, has published a report on the scientific evidence relating to 1.5C° global warming. The report shows that it is still possible to limit warming to 1.5C° and avoid dangerous climate change. Reaching this goal, however, would require rapid and large-scale climate…

Pricing of coal pollution for its damaging impacts on our health and the planet “is an issue of life and death” according to former Secretary of State John Kerry at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco this month. Carbon Market Watch participated in the summit to present how engagement of environmental groups, as a counterweight to the lobby interests of high-emitting industries, is critical for fairer and more effective carbon pricing.

The divide between countries on key elements of the new UN carbon markets have become apparent at the last UNFCCC session which closed last week in Bangkok. Open questions around the transition of old markets and how to ensure that carbon offsets do not water down climate ambition are set to continue during COP24, when major rules of the Paris Rulebook are expected to be finalised in December in Katowice, Poland.

Market negotiations resumed at full speed in Bangkok, with new text being published after only one day of negotiations. Parties are feeling the pressure now that COP24 is looming. We’ve started the session by hearing lists of priorities for items that could not be postponed to 2019 (assuming that not all issues could be resolved…